Adjustable phonograph repeater



April 26, 1927. 1,626,100

) H. SEIGMAN ADJUSTABLE EHONOGRAPH REPEATER Filed May 5, 1923 INVENTOR Harry Seymwz at/ma PM ATTORNEY,

Patented Apr. 26, 1927.

PATIENT orrlcs.

HARRY SEIGMAN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ADJUSTABLE PHONOGRAPI-I REPEATER.

Application filed May 3, 1923.

My invention relates to adjustable phonograph repeaters; that is, to appliances used in connection with phonographs for the purpose of shifting the stylus from the portion of the phonograph record representing the end of the accoustical exercise to the portion of said record corresponding to the beginning of the said exercise, thus causing the phonograph record to be played repeatedly, and the repetition being automatic.

More particularly stated, I seek to produce a phonograph repeater adapted for use with disk records of different diameters and provided with sound groove surfaces of different proportions, my device being adjustable for the purpose of enabling it to be instantly adapted by hand for use with any ordinary record independently of the diameter thereof.

As is well known inthis art, disk records are usually made of standard sizes, the most popular sizes being those with diameters of ten and twelve inches, respectively. In exceptional cases the records may be of still longer diameter, and for special purposes, such as use upon the toy phonographs,they may be made of much shorter diameter, say from four to nine inches.

It is also a fact well known that, for sound records of any given diameter, and even for records of standard size, there are variations in the width of the margin of the record, inside of the surface of annular form provided with the sound grooves.

IVhat I seek to do is to provide a phonograph repeater so constructed and arranged that it may be applied to and used upon a disk record of any diameter, and with any extent of margin inside of the annular sur face provided with the sound grooves, and may be quickly adjusted by hand and thereby adapted to the particular record, in such manner as to repeatedly shift the reproducer from the inner to the outer edge of the annular surface carrying the sound groove.

Reference is made to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, and in which like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the several figures.

Figure 1 is a plan View of my phonograph repeater, showing it as adjusted for use up on a disk record of large size, such as a twelve inch record.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary plan, made upon a scale somewhat smaller than that of Fig- Serial No. 636,281.

ure 1 and showing my device as adjusted for use upon a disk record of smaller size, such as a ten inch record.

Figure 8 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Figure 1 is a section on the line 4l-l of Figure 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of a portion of the mechanism shown iii-Figure 1. v

A phonograph turntable is shown at 5 and is provided with a center pin 6, these parts being of the usual or any desired'construction.

In Figures 1 and 3 is shown a disk record 7 of large size, namely a twelve inch record. In Figure 2 appears a record of smaller size, at 8, that is, a ten inch record.

In connection with each of the records just mentioned, and with records of other sizes, I use a snail frame 9, which rests loosely upon the turntable. The snail frame is made of sheet material, preferably celluloid, and consists of a single integral piece. It is provided with a slot 10 located in the middle portion of the frame, and with a guide button 11.

This guide button is of suitable form to loosely engage the peripheral edge of the disk record, as shown, and is provided with a threaded stem 12 extending through the adjacent outer portion of the snail frame. A nut 13 is revolubly mounted upon the threaded stem 12.

The snail frame is provided with a slot 1 1, having a laterally extending portion 15, one end 14? of the slot being disposed a short distance from the slot 10, above described.

The snail frame 9 is provided with a guide channel 16, having a general convolute form and having a relatively wide portion 16, tapering in width and bounded by raised walls 17 and 18. The snail frame is further provided with a portion 9 so formed as to increase its rigidity and strength of this portion, which would otherwise be weakened somewhat by the close proximity of the slot 14. v

The raised wall 18 is provided with a portion 18 extending out to the right according to Figure 1, and serving to brace the adjacent edge portion of the snail frame.

A slide 19 is made sheet material and is entirely separate from the snail frame. This at 20 and the other at 21. The slot 20 has such width as to coincide approximately with the cross diameter of the center pin 6 of the turntable. The slot 21 is of such width as to coincide approximately with the cross diameter of the threaded stem 12.

The slide 19 may rest upon the snail frame 9, in such position that the threaded stem 12 extends through the slot 21, and when the snail frame carrying the slide rests upon the turntable, the center pin 6 of the turntable can extend through the slot 10 of the snail frame, and also through the slot 20 of the slide 19.

The slide 19 is further provided with a slot 22 of substantially \l-form, this slot extending out over the bottom 16 of the adjacent wide portion of the guide channel 16. The portion of the slide 19 bounding the slot 14 is of such thickness and configuration as to prevent it from lifting the stylus. The V-form of the slot 22, however, causes the wall of this slot to act as a cam and as such to lift the stylus out of engagement with the record.

The phonograph reproducer is shown by dotted lines at 23, and carries a stylus 24. The reproducer is carried upon a goose neck 25, the latter being journaled upon a tone arm 26, in the manner well understood in this art.

In order to fit the snail frame upon a record resting upon the turntable, the guide button 11 is brought into close proximity to the edge of the disk record 7, and the slot 10 is slipped over the center pin 6. If as usually happens the slot 20 of the slide 19 is in registry with the slot 1.0 of the snail frame, the center pin 6 is thus caused to extend through both of the slots 10 and 20. If it happens that the slide 20 is not in the proper position upon the snail frame for the center pin 6 to extend through the slot 20, the position of the slide 19 is shifted slight- 1y by hand, and the center pin 6 is thus caused to extend through both of the slots 10 and 20.

The parts are so proportioned and arranged that, with the snail frame resting upon a record, the snail frame can easily be shifted by hand to the right according to Figures 1 and 2, but can not be shifted to the left owing to the factthat any movement to the left brings the button 11 against the adjacent edge of the turntable.

With the snail frame in the position just described the operator by turning the nut 13 and thus loosening the slide 19 may shift this slide endwise, either to the right or left according to Figure 1, within limits permitted by the slots 20 and 21, which as above stated are equal length. Thus the slide 19 is adjusted relatively to the snail frame, and this done. the nut 13 is tightened.

In adjusting my device for a large record, such as 7, the snail frame as a whole is shifted by hand to the right or left according to Figure 1, until brought into the position shown in this figure and above described, the guide button 11 being in loose engagement with, or at least in close proximity to, the adjacent edge of the record disk, so that the portion 15 of the slot 14 is brought directly over the outer edge of the annular surface provided with sound grooves, this outer edge being indicated in Figure 1 by a broken line 27. The slide 19 is next loosened by turning the nut 13, and shifted to the right or left as required, to bring the V-shaped slot 22 directly over the inner edge of the sound groove surface. This inner edge is indicated in Figure 1 by the numeral 28. The nut 13 being now tightened, the reproducer 23 is moved into suitable position to bring the stylus 24 into contact with the outer edge of the sound groove surface.

The rotation of the turntable causes the record to be played in the manner well understood in this art. The rotation of the record confers upon the snail frame a gentle torque, so that the slide 19 exerts a gentle pressure against the stylus. The snail frame, carrying the slide 19, is thus maintained practically stationary while the stylus drifts slowly to the left according to Figure 1. The movement of the stylus toward the left prevents the snail frame from being dislodged by making any accidental movement to the right. That is to say, the movement of the stylus 24 being to the left, there is a slight tendency for the slide 19 to move also to the left, and as a result of this tendency the guide button 11 is kept rather taut in position against the adjacent edge of the record.

lVhen the acoustical exercise is finished, the stylus 24 enters the groove 22, the V- form of this groove causing the walls of the groove to act as a cam and raise the stylus out of engagement with the record. Next the snail frame begins to turn with the record, and the portion of the slide in immediate proximity to the groove 22 passes under the stylus, which rests upon the bottom 16. The further rotation of the snail frame causes the channel 16 to act after the manner of a snail cam, carrying the reproducer 23 back to its initial position indicated by dotted lines in Figure 1. The stylus 24 is thus brought into the portion 16 of the slot 14, and the slide 19 thereupon engages the stylus and is brought to a standstill. The continued rotation of the record causes the cycle of operations just described to be repeated over and over.

With the smaller record 8 the same steps are taken, with the exception that in adjusting the snail frame and the slide the relative positions of these two parts is changed, as may be understood from Figure 6.

This means simply that the guide button 11 is closer to the center pin 6 owing to the smaller radius of the record, and that the slide 19 occupies such position relatively to the snail frame that the V-shaped slot 22 is somewhat nearer the center pin than would be the ease with the use of the larger record.

The operation of my device may be readil y understood from the foregoing description.

The operator places a record in position upon the turntable, and then places the snail frame, carrying the slide, upon the record. This done he adjusts the snail frame relatively to the outer edge of the record as above described and then adjusts the slide relatively to the inner boundary of the sound groovedsurface, and tightens the nut 13 to prevent relative movement between the snail frame and the slide.

The device may be adjusted for records of a given size, and then used for playing any number of records of that size. This done the device may be adjusted for records of a different size, and used without further adjustment for playing a large number of such records.

I do not limit myself to the precise mechanism shown, as variations may be made therein without departing from my invention, the scope of which is commensurate with my claims. 7

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is as follows:

1. An adjustable phonograph repeater comprising a snail frame provided with an opening for receiving a stylus and further provided with a slot for receiving the center pin of a turntable, so that with said snail frame resting upon said turntable the snail frame is adjustable bodily in relation to the turntable within limits permitted by the length of said last mentioned slot, a slide mounted upon said snail frame and provided with a portion normally overhanging said opening in the snail frame and serving as a guide for the stylus, and mean controllable by the operator for adjusting said slide into diiferent positions relatively to said snail frame.

2. The combination of a snail frame provided with a convolute channel for guiding a stylus and further provided with a slot disposed adjacent said convolute channel, a slide mounted upon said snail frame and overhanging said slot, said slide being provided with a slot of substantially V form so positioned as to practically form a continuation of said first mentioned slot, and means controllable by'the operator for adjusting ,the position of said slide relatively to said snail plate.

3. As an article of manufacture, a snail plate provided with a channel of convolute form and with a slot into which said channel merges and further provided with a second slot, and a slide mounted upon said snail plate and provided with a slot so situated that it may be brought into registry with said second slot, said slide being further provided with another slot which may be brought into merging relation with said first mentioned slot. 1

4. A device of the character described, comprising a snail plate to be carried upon a phonograph turntable, said snail plate being provided with a slot for receiving the center pin of said turntable and also provided with an additional slot for receiving the stylus of a reproducer, said snail plate being further provided with a groove of convolute form, and a slide mounted upon said snail plate and adjustable relatively thereto, said slide being provided with mechanism co-acting with said turntable for shifting said stylus from said slot in said snail frame to said channel of convolute form.

5. The combination with a snail plate having a guiding channel for shifting a stylus from one point to another and also having a slot through which the stylus extends in playing a record, and having a slot for receiving the center pin of the phonograph turntable, of a slide provided with a slot for receiving the said center pin and further provided with mechanism co-acting with the turntable for shifting the stylus from said first mentioned slot into said guiding channel, and means controllable by the operator for adjusting the slide relatively to the snail plate.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 2d day of May, 1923.

HARRY SEIGMAN. 

